I have been thinking about this. As you guys know I am installing a new set of drag pipes on my motorcycle. We have been discussing the lollipops and the torque cones quite a bit. I started thinking, if there is going to be any kind of fair comparison, I need to do the test on the same set of pipes, otherwise outside factors such as pipe length, and diameter may skew the results. So this afternoon I got a break from my project and went to work on the bike. I took the exact set of 2" pipes that are on the bike right now with the cones, removed the cones and added the lollipops just like you guys described. Here are the results.

First, power. If, and I mean if there is a power difference between the cones and the lollipops, it is ONLY between 2500 ad 3500 and ONLY when your really cranking on her. Like over 3/4 throttle. Again, if there is any improvement, it would be very minimal and only under the conditions I described. Any other time I was riding, I could tell absolutely no difference between the cones and the lollipops.

Second, sound. OMG!!!!!! Did those lollipops RUIN....... and I mean RUIN the drag pipe sound. This alone is making me abandon them, but even if they made notable power increases, I still could not live with the bike now. The first issue I have is the tinny sound the exhaust now has. Kind of like the exhaust is made of of tin cans but it isn't. Its really very unpleasant. I wish I could better describe it, but the exhaust note just sounds.... tinny. That aside, the death of these lollipops really came from one and one thing only. I lost (and I mean GONE) that beautiful musical raspy blast that you only get from cammed up bikes with straight pipes between shifts. I can't describe it in words but its that BLAAAPPP you get when you shift gears between 3-4k with drag pipes. THATS GONE! I love that sound. Its the essence of my bike, and now its vanished.

So, in a nutshell, heres where I am at. The lollipops may make a tad more hard cranking power, but under normal conditions they seem very close in performance to the torque cones. They utterly kill the between shift BLAP that I love so much and the exhaust note is now tinny. So long story short, when the 1 3/4 drags show up, I am installing the torque cones and calling it a day. I want to thank all the people who replied to my posts. The info on this board is priceless and invaluable. Sometime I have a difference of opinion, but I am in true awe of the kowledge base. Thanks again. Heres some pics of todays install.

 

I thought lollipops had a washer welded to the bolt that goes inside the pipe.

I don't see what putting screw eye bolt into you pipe would do anything.

 

they do. or you use a thumb screw. the sound also is affected by the angle of the washers. in the pic above, on my bike at least, it was like having full baffles in. no back fire at all and it tamed the sound down a lot. it also got rid of the tinny, raspy sound that it made without baffles in. if you look at the :http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/exhaust.htm it shows dyno pulls for the lollipop at 3 different angles. I have mine on a 45* (most tq&hp) it's got a deep rumble sound with only a little amount of backfire.

 

Oh, it makes quite a bit of difference. They do work. If I was running straight two inch open drags, I feel I would have lost mid range torque as compared to both the cones and lollipops. I'm also saying I don't think the lollipops do all that much more than the torque cones. I also simply do not like the sound.

Dub, I didn't take them out yet just for this reason. I suspected you guys would have answers like this. Before I give up all hope I am going to try twisting them as you mentioned. I will try maybe 30, 45 and 60 degree angles before I give up all hope. But if I can't get my BLAAAPPP back, they are toast!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

bikerlaw: before you give up on the lollipops completely, try using thumb screws instead of the screw eye bolt. if you don't have welder. to me it just seems like that screw eye bolt doesn't have enough surface area to create the needed back pressure.

but if you don't like the sound then f it all and find a tone you like. thats how I came about these lollipops. I tried cutting down and re-welding the stock baffles in my v&h long shots. it was louder but still had a hushing sound when I let off the gas. I ran straight pipes for years but got sick of the raspyness that came along with it. I use my pipes as a warning to other drivers that I'm there. so I'm all about that sound you love as well. which is way I'm promoting the lollipops so much.

good luck finding the tone your looking for.

 

Alright dub, I will give the thumbscrews a try tomorrow. I want to try all these devices before I put on the new pipes. Both for proper comparison reasons, but also because I want to install these new pipes once and be done with it. And I don't want to drill the new pipes till I know what works best. Trashing my old pipes pretty much I don't care about. Thanks for the heads up.

 

This is what I've always done. The raspy sound doesn't disappear this way.
lollipop.jpg?t=1303253697

 

Yeah, back again, thats what I am going to try to make tomorrow. I'm going to head back to Lowe's and see if I can find some thumbscrews that are similar in shape and size to something like what you have.

 

I have 1 3/4 cycle shack drags on my 86fxwg,cones with 4 inch can opener baffles punched open then bent four of the eight tabs back in halfway to eliminate decell pop. Lollipops and thumbscrews work I've used them in the past just giving you options. Don't expect any low or midrange gains with drags.

 

OMG, sometimes my lack of brain power amazes me. I have a set of the can opener baffles sitting in my parts bin. I have no idea why it never dawned upon me to install them. They are for my two inch pipes. I guess I can put them in and compare them to the lollipops, thumbscrews and torque cones. At least then I will be able to say I have tried everything short of the Chrome Werks HP Plus baffles that so many rave about. In fact, I suppose I really need to try those before I finish this ordeal. Anyway, I have to go to work so it will all have to wait a while till the weather cooperates and I have time to try this stuff out. Thanks for all the replies.